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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-02-13 Daily Xml
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ADELAIDE PARK LANDS (FACILITATION OF DEVELOPMENT OF VICTORIA PARK) AMENDMENT BILL

Introduction and First Reading

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (17:04): Obtained leave and introduced a bill for an act to amend the Adelaide Park Lands Act 2005. Read a first time.

Second Reading

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (17:04): I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

This bill can potentially make a significant difference to how South Australia is perceived currently, both from outside and within the state. For too long we have had a culture of settling for second best and, when the government had the opportunity to do something special—something it believed in until it all got too hard—it simply dropped the ball and walked away. By walking away from the Victoria Park master plan, the Hon. Mike Rann and the Labor government have shown they lack the courage of their conviction and lack what South Australians are crying out for; that is, true leadership and vision.

The opposition accepts that the Rann government showed some vision in the Victoria Park master plan, and that is why we were flabbergasted when we gave the government the opportunity to still push ahead with the plans but it chose to immediately dismiss the offer. It dismissed the offer and, instead, chose to invest in a $20 million demountable stand and some shadecloth.

The Clipsal 500 race is a premier motor race which warrants top-class facilities and significant investment. What it delivers to the state from both a tourism and economic perspective is tremendous and it merits more than a demountable stand. It merits more than just second best.

The South Australian Jockey Club is now unsure of its racing future at Victoria Park because of the government's failure to act, and racing misses out on the very best facilities that it should have been delivered. Local residents also deserve better, and this bill is about ensuring that local residents will not have to endure an extra two months each year of disruption, traffic congestion and unsightly looks. The Victoria Park master plan's main objective was to improve the amenity, use and appeal of Victoria Park for community, cultural and major event activities. A demountable stand does nothing to help meet this objective.

It is with some sadness that we introduce the Adelaide Park Lands (Facilitation of Development of Victoria Park) Amendment bill. The opposition feels some pity and sadness for the Rann government, as we know it should never have got to this stage. We firmly believe that strong decision making and leadership should have prevailed instead of the Hon. Mike Rann caving in to the enemy within. Premier Rann wanted this master plan to go ahead. Treasurer Foley and a host of senior frontbenchers, as well as vocal government backbenchers like the member for West Torrens, wanted it to go ahead.

Regrettably, the member for Adelaide did not share their enthusiasm. The member for Adelaide was given an extraordinary and unique exemption to say her cabinet colleagues had got it all wrong and was allowed to publicly humiliate the Treasurer. However, this plan can still go ahead because the opposition truly believes in the objectives of the master plan.

The opposition believes in returning significant amounts of land to open space. The master plan predicted that some 56,000 square metres of land will be made available for use as open space. We support the planting of some 1,000 native trees. We believe in removing redundant buildings and other dilapidated structures. We believe in Victoria Park realising its potential as a special events and entertainment hub of which we can all be proud. We believe in a future for Victoria Park.

In 1837 Colonel Light declared the area now known as Victoria Park should be used for horse racing and public recreational activities. Our bill supports Light's vision by helping to give racing and other activities a future at this unique inner city venue. The Adelaide Parklands (Facilitation of Development of Victoria Park) Amendment Bill is about securing a future for sporting, leisure, cultural and recreational activities. The bill provides for the approval of the lease for the development which was approved by the Development Assessment Commission in application number DA/500/2007.

Through the bill, the authority to secure the development would rest with the state Treasurer. The bill provides for the Treasurer to secure access to the site either by negotiation for a lease with the Adelaide City Council or by notice in the Government Gazette. This bill provides for up to a 99-year lease and for the right of occupation as an exclusive right that prevails over all other interests.

Occupation rights to other entities such as the South Australian Jockey Club and the South Australian Motor Sport Board can be granted by the Treasurer, and reasonable steps would take place for negotiations with the Adelaide City Council for other events, such as the rights of sporting clubs to use facilities. Where the government is not using any of the land for the purpose described, the surplus land would be returned to parklands.

As this bill provides approval only for the facilities described in DA/500/2007, additional buildings or any other variance would need to go before the Development Assessment Commission. The bill authorises the Treasurer to authorise persons to carry out work, including access to the site for the building of facilities. This bill prevails should there be conflict between the Adelaide Parklands Management Strategy and the bill.

Only a few days ago the Motor Trade Association's magazine arrived on my desk. The President's report was entitled 'A Time for Action' and focused on the Victoria Park redevelopment. I am certain the MTA President would not mind if I read out part of his report, as it indicates the exact reasons why the opposition introduced this legislation today. The report states:

For the state government to appear to walk away from the project which it had committed to and to not immediately proceed with legislation in state parliament is puzzling, especially given the state opposition took a bold stand and promised to back legislation allowing the granting of the lease and, as such, allowing the project to proceed. The government had a perfect opportunity to be bold and dynamic and has paused with the chequered flag in sight.

The article then goes on to state:

The opposition has indicated it is ready to go. Our challenge to the government is: rise to the challenge, do not settle for a temporary compromise. The government will now spend $20 million to develop the world's largest fully demountable building for the race, and seat shading. This is not the result we want and need. The Treasurer also said legislation cannot force cooperation or common sense. That's true, but what legislation can do is force an outcome, and that's what we demand. We need to position this state for the future—not the past.

I urge members to support this bill because, by supporting this bill, we would truly be positioning this state for the future and would be doing something positive for our children and future generations. This is sensible legislation that has been drafted because the government failed to act. I pray the Rann government now has the courage to accept that it should not have walked away, that it made a mistake by doing so and that it can now correct this error in judgment by supporting this bill. I commend the bill to the council

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. I.K. Hunter.

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